


Past Imperfect

by ladymidath



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Angst, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-05
Updated: 2004-07-05
Packaged: 2019-02-05 15:26:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12797271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladymidath/pseuds/ladymidath
Summary: Alex is kidnapped and Walter and Fox do everything in their power to try and find him again





	Past Imperfect

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Haven, the archivist: This story was originally archived at [Fandom Haven Story Archive (FHSA)](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom_Haven_Story_Archive), was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2016. To preserve the archive, I began working with the OTW to transfer the stories to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. If you are this creator and the work hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Fandom Haven Story Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/fhsa/profile).

"Come on Alex, just a mouthful, just try a mouthful, that's all."

 

Alex shook his head and burrowed deeper under the quilt, Walter sighed and shook 

his head

in frustration.

 

He had been spending the last twenty minutes trying to coax Alex into taking a 

mouthful of the

chicken soup that Dana's mother had made especially for Alex.

 

"Hurts." Alex croaked shaking his head. "Too sore."

 

"I know it hurts your throat to swallow sweetheart, but you need to eat 

something."

Walter told him. "Come on, just one mouthful." He held the spoon out but Alex 

stubbornly

turned his head away.

 

"How's it going?"

 

Walter turned around as Fox sauntered into the guest bedroom, where Alex was 

staying until

he was over the'flu.

 

"I'm afraid it's not." Walter replied. He set the now lukewarm bowl of soup onto 

the night

stand. "I can't even get him to open his mouth to taste it."

 

Fox grinned. "I keep telling you Walter, you have to be firm or you'll get 

absolutely no where."

 

"Oh really Dr Spock, do you think you could do any better?"

 

"I think I might be able too." Fox replied. He seated himself on the edge of the 

bed, picking

up the bowl of soup.

 

"Right now Alex, open up...come on."

 

Alex shook his head, uhuh, no way.

 

"Alex, Maggie Scully made this just for you, now you don't want to insult her

by not eating it, do you?"

 

"Tell her thanks for me." Alex whispered hoarsely.

 

Fox sighed. "Alex, no more nonsense, open up...or else."

 

"Or else what?" Walter asked, amused.

 

"Or else, of Jesus...I don't know." Fox spluttered. He turned to glare at Walter 

who was

laughing.

 

"But I will think of something." He turned back to Alex, who was regarding both 

of his lovers

with amusement.

 

"Okay Alex, enough is enough, you are going to have some of this soup, then you 

can have your

medication and a nap."

 

"No." Alex said, shaking his head again. "Don't want to."

 

"Why don't we just leave it for now Fox, let him rest for a while then we can 

heat the soup

up for him later." Walter said. Fox sighed.

 

"You know Dana told us that he has to eat and drink plenty of fluids, he's lost 

so much weight

and he's still dehydrated."

 

He turned back to Alex once more.

 

"Look baby, I know it's no fun being sick, and being stuck in bed, but if you 

don't have some

nourishment you're never going to get better."

 

"Don't care." Alex pouted at him like a three year old, which was exactly the 

way he had

been acting since he had gotten sick nearly a week before.

 

Because of his already precarious health, it was taking him longer to shake

off the effects of the 'flu, despite all the medication he was on.

 

"Alex that's it, you are going to do as you're told." Fox said firmly. "Now 

don't look at me like that, it's for your own good."

 

Alex's bottom lip pooched out, when it came to sulking, he was almost as good as 

Fox.

 

Walter chuckled. "He's right Alex, just a couple of spoonfuls, and then you can 

have some

ice cream, okay?"

 

"Doan wanna."

 

"Too bad baby, now open up." Alex opened his mouth and Fox tipped a spoonful of 

the chicken

soup into his mouth. Alex tried to swallow it, but it got caught in his red raw 

throat.

 

Spluttering, it sprayed out of his mouth, and all over Fox.

 

"Oh hell!" He leapt up, frantically brushing at his suit. "Oh shit, I just got 

this

back from the cleaners!"

 

Walter roared with laughter and Alex ducked under the quilt, pulling it up over 

his head.

 

"Oh for Christ's sake, Walter, this isn't funny!"

 

Walter quickly sobered. "No, you are right Fox, it's not." Then, unable to help

it, he burst out laughing again.

 

Fox glared at him for a moment, then turned back to Alex, who was still hiding 

under the

bedclothes.

 

He rolled his eyes, an ex Consortium agent hiding under the quilt for pete's 

sake.

"Oh Alex, come on out of there will you, you're not in trouble."

 

One eye peeked out over the quilt. "You sure?"

 

"Yes I'm sure." Fox grabbed the quilt and tugged it lightly. "Come on, it's time 

for your

pills anyway."

 

"Okay." Alex pushed the covers off him. His hair was sticking up all over the 

place, flopping down over his forehead.

Walter reached over

and gently smoothed his hair back.

 

"Sorry Fox." Alex whispered, staring down at the brightly patterned quilt.

 

Fox chuckled and reached down to tilt Alex's face up to his.

 

"Honey, it was an accident, don't worry about it.

 

"But I ruined your suit." Alex replied mournfully. Fox sighed.

 

"Alex, it's a suit, I can get it cleaned, It's nothing to get upset over."

 

"Okay." Alex still looked doubtful. Fox chuckled. "Well, I think we can safely 

say that the

soup was not a success."

 

"Sorry." Alex whispered. "My throat hurts, I don't wanna eat."

 

"Well, we'll try something later." Walter replied. "In the meantime, I'll go and 

get your pills."

"And some juice, he needs to drink something as well."

 

"What he needs is a good spanking." Fox replied, half jokingly, looking down at 

the stains

on his suit.

 

When Fox saw Alex's face drain of all colour, he could have kicked himself. Alex 

stared at the two men, eyes wide and terrified.

 

"Please...I'm sorry please don't spank me, I promise, I won't get sick again."

 

"Oh shit." Fox said miserably, he had forgotten how badly Alex reacted to any 

kind of physical 

threat, even one said in jest. The Consortium had often beaten and tortured Alex 

using

the threat of pain to make him do their dirty work. According to Alex, the 

Elders of the Elite

had been the worst.

 

"Alex, I was just kidding, I'd never hurt you, you know that." Fox told him as 

gently as he could.

"And besides that, what would make you think that we would ever punish you for 

getting sick?"

 

He looked up at Walter for support. Concerned, Walter perched on the edge of the 

bed, taking

Alex's hand.

 

"Listen Alex, Fox was just making a joke..." He threw the man in question a 

disapproving glance.

"A questionable one, but a joke all the same. There is no way

either of us could ever hurt you. Okay baby?"

 

After a moment, Alex nodded. "Okay." He whispered, then he offered the two 

worried man a wan

smile.

 

"I'm sorry, I should have realized Fox was only kidding, but with Spender's 

phone call and all.."

 

"It's okay, I shouldn't have said what I said Alex, it was stupid and 

thoughtless of me."

Fox replied. Alex sighed and shook his head. "No, it's up to me to start acting 

like an adult

instead of like a needy brat all the time."

 

Walter chuckled and patted Alex's blanket covered leg. "You may be acting like a 

needy brat, but you are our

needy brat, and that's what counts."

 

Alex nodded, feeling better, ever since the Smoking Man had called three nights 

ago, it had

sent him into an emotional spin. Both Walter and Fox had been been giving as 

much support

as they possibly could. Walter in fact had taken some time off to care for him, 

and Fox had

tried to cut down on his workload to spend more time at home.

 

Alex really appreciated everything they were doing for him, but it made him feel 

bad.

He felt as though he was not pulling his weight.

 

"Now how about I get Fox cleaned up then get your pills, that way we might still 

be able to

catch the football game on channel six later." Walter said, standing up.

 

"Sounds good to me." Fox always enjoyed watching the football and baseball on 

T.V, Alex was

not much of a sports fan himself.

 

"Okay." Alex snuggled back down under the covers. "I feel really tired."

 

"Pills first, then sleep." Walter told the sick man firmly.

 

Alex waited until both Walter and Fox had left the room, to stick his tongue out 

at them.

 

 

"Who was on the phone?" Fox asked as he set the six pack of beer and the bowl

of popcorn onto the coffee table. He had changed from his stained suit into a 

pair of sweat pants

and a pull over.

 

"John, Dana's taken the baby over to visit her Mum so he's at a loose end. So I 

invited him

over to watch the game with us." Walter replied. "You don't mind do you?"

 

"No, it's just that..." Fox looked suddenly uncomfortable.

 

Walter frowned. "What's wrong?"

 

"Oh... nothing." Fox replied slowly. "Um it's just that I forgot to tell you, 

the Lone Gunmen

are coming over to watch the game as well."

 

Walter stared at him for a moment. "Thanks for letting me know."

 

Fox shrugged. "Sorry, I said, I forgot."

 

"Fox, may I remind you that you possess a photographic memory...how the hell 

could 

you forget?"

 

Fox sighed, the last thing he wanted to do right now was get into an argument 

over it right now.

 

"I said I was sorry Walter, it's just that I have been snowed under at the 

Bureau lately,

what with Kersh on my case twenty four hours a day, and now The Smoking Man's 

decided to crawl

out from under his rock..."

 

Walter sighed. "I know Fox, remember I am in the exact same position, it's just 

that I know

that John and the Three Stooges don't really get on."

 

Fox rolled his eyes. "I wish you would stop calling them that, they are my 

friends, you know and

they're not that bad."

 

Walter grinned, actually he liked those three goofballs, but John Doggett and 

the Three Stooges,

as Walter dubbed them, did not really get on. Oh well, it was done now, all he 

could do was

hope that Langley was not to rude to John.

 

He seemed to get a kick out of baiting the serious minded FBI agent.

 

Just than, the phone rang, Fox reached over and picked it up. "Agent Mulder 

here."

 

He listened for a moment, then frowned. "What, are you sure. Give me twenty 

minutes, I'll

right there." He hung the phone back up, and turned to Walter who was waiting 

patiently.

 

"That was AD Kersh." Fox explained. "There's been a triple murder over near the 

Madison building.

He wants me to check it out."

 

"You'd better get going then." Walter replied with a grin. "Mustn't keep AD 

Kersh waiting, must we?"

 

Fox pulled a face. "I was really looking forward to the game." He sighed. "Oh 

well, better 

get changed." He headed upstairs, just as the front doorbell rang.

 

Walter answered the door and was faced with the sight of John Doggett helping 

Ringo Langley

and Melvin Frohike carry a large box up to the front porch.

 

John Byers was carrying a smaller box crammed full of wires and plugs and other 

electrical

paraphernalia.

 

"What the hell?" Walter stepped aside to allow them entrance into the front 

foyer.

 

"Oh Jesus this is heavy." John Doggett grunted as he and Langley set the box 

onto the floor.

 

"What's all this?" Fox was coming down the stairs, pulling his coat on. He 

stopped at the

bottom of the stairs, staring at the boxes on the floor.

 

"It's for Ratboy...I mean Alex." Langley quickly amended. "It's a computer."

 

"Thanks Ringo." Fox replied puzzled. "But we have a computer for him, it's in 

the study."

 

"I made this one up for him myself." Langley replied. I thought he might like to 

keep it in his room

while he's sick, you know, take his mind off his misery and keep him occupied."

 

"Thanks Ringo." Fox said, genuinely touched. He knew that none of his friends 

liked or trusted

Alex Krycek. For them to go to all this trouble was really very sweet.

 

"We'll take it upstairs and set it up for him, he have a special stand that will 

sit over the bed."

Melvin Frohike said. "Something I just happened to whip up myself."

 

"I'll give you guys a hand." Walter said. "But let's do it after the game, right 

now Alex is

asleep, I don't want to disturb him."

 

"How is he?" John Doggett asked, Walter could see he was not asking out of 

politeness, but out

of genuine concern.

 

"A little better, but this dammed throat infection and cough just won't seem to 

budge."

Walter replied with a sigh.

"No matter what Dana precribes, nothing seems to be having real effect."

 

"In that case, maybe he should be in a hospital." John replied.

 

"I hate to interrupt guys, but I have to go." Fox said, cutting in. "I'll be 

back as soon

as I can." 

 

"Hey, where are you going?" Frohike asked. "I thought we were going to watch the 

game?"

 

"Sorry guys, I am on an investigation, have to go. I see you all later."

 

"Shit man." Langley replied. "That is so uncool. Who would call him out when the 

football's on?"

 

"Crime doesn't stop for a football game." John Doggett replied with a smile.

 

Langley turned to give him one of his 'looks'."

 

"Come on guys, the game is about to start." Walter guided them all towards the 

living room, before 

any trouble could start between Ringo Langley and and John Doggett.

 

He switched on the T.V and soon the five of them were engrossed in the game.

 

Walter reached over for another beer when the phone rang, eyes still glued to 

the screen,

Byers picked the phone up and handed to him.

 

"Assistant Director Skinner speaking." He barked into the phone. "Yes, yes Sir, 

of course."

Skinner said. "I'll be there in twenty minutes. Right, thank you Sir."

 

He handed the phone back to Byers who replaced the handset onto the cradle.

 

"Sorry guys, but that was the Deputy Director, he wants to see me straight 

away."

 

"John Doggett looked up, surprised. "What, this late?"

 

"Emergency meeting." Walter explained. "I have to get going."

 

"I thought you were on leave while Alex was sick?" Byers asked.

 

"Yeah, so did I." Walter grunted. "But I have to go...oh shit, Alex!" Walter 

said suddenly.

"Hell, I forgot, I can't leave him here by himself, he's still too sick."

 

"We can stay and look after him until you or Fox gets back." Byers said. "It's 

okay."

He looked at the others. "Right guys?"

 

Frohike and Langley both nodded. "Yeah sure, no problem."

 

John Doggett shrugged. "I'm not doing anything for awhile, I can stay."

 

"And where's the lovely Dana tonight?" Frohike asked. Even thinking about the 

red headed agent

tended to make the pulse in his diminutive body race.

 

"She's taken Willian to visit her mother." John Doggett replied.

 

Walter hesitated. Leaving Alex in the care of four men that all had reason to 

despise him...

 

As if reading his thoughts, John Doggett said. "Walt, he'll be fine, I promise 

we will take

good care of him, all right?"

 

"Yeah, we are pretty good at taking care of sick little rats." Langley added, 

ignoring the glares

that both Frohike and Byers directed at him.

 

Walter groaned inwardly, he had a feeling that this was not a good idea, but it 

was not like

he had a choice. The DD had summoned him and that was that.

 

"All right then, I'll be back as soon as I can."

 

He hurried upstairs to change out of his jeans and polo shirt.

 

Langley settled back against the couch. "After all guys, what could go wrong?"

 

 

Alex's eyes flew open, he stared around the darkened room for a moment, 

disorientated.

After a moment, he recognized the guest room where he was staying while he 

recovered from

the flu.

 

For a moment, everything had looked different in the dim light coming from the 

half open window.

 

The moonlight had cast shadows over everything, making it look unfamiliar and 

somehow...weirdly alien.

 

It's the dammed fever, he thought grimly, struggling to sit up. This illness is 

playing tricks

with my mind.

 

Suddenly he heard a sharp thud from downstairs, followed by a string of curses.

 

Alex frowned, he did not recognize the voice.

 

Suddenly he heard heavy foot steps coming up the stairs.

 

"He's in here." 

 

Alex froze. Who the hell was that? He threw back the quilt and swung his legs 

off the bed.

 

Christ, where the hell was his gun. With a sick feeling in the pit of his 

stomach, he realized

that it had been locked away in the gun safe. Shit!

 

The bedroom door was flung open and Alex stared up at the two men that filled 

the doorway.

 

"Hi Alex, remember me?" Luis Cardinal stepped into the room, gun clutched firmly 

in his hand.

 

"Sorry to break in on you like this, but Mr Spender would like a word with you."

He gave Alex a chilling smile.

 

Downstairs, the Lone Gunmen were lying on the floor, hands over their heads. 

John Doggett

lay a little away, unconscious, he was bleeding from a headwound.

 

As soon as the gunmen had burst in through the back door of the house, John had 

fought valiantly until one of the men smashed the heel of his pistol down onto 

the FBI

agent's head. John had dropped like a stone.

 

Langley, Byers and Frohike were forced down onto the floor at gunpoint. The 

three of them

petrified with terror.

 

"W...w...what do y..you want?" Byers managed out between chattering teeth. 

Beside him, Frohike was trembling badly.

 

"Just stay where you are and don't move." One of the men said, then he and 

another man headed upstairs,

towards Alex's room.

 

The three other men stayed downstairs, keeping their weapons trained on their 

helpless captives.

 

Byers lifted his head, staring at one of the men, a tall dark headed man with a 

thin scar on

his left cheek.

 

"If you do anything to Alex, you know Walter Skinner and Fox Mulder won't rest 

until you

are behind bars...you know that don't you?"

 

The man chuckled, waving his gun at Byers. "Is that so?"

 

Langley lifted his head to stare at his friend. "John, shut up!" He hissd.

 

Byers ignored him. He kept his eyes on the man with the scar.

 

"Who are you working for? The Smoking man?"

 

"Byers, shut the fuck up!" Langley snarled. "Can't you see that you are going to 

get us all

killed?"

 

"Why don't you leave him alone?" Byers continued. "He's got a life here now, why 

can't you all 

just leave him be?"

 

Frohike groaned. "John, these men are not open to reason, can't you see that? 

Shut up before you

get us killed."

 

"That's right." Langley said furiously. "Men who are waving guns in our faces 

aren't usually

open to discussion about anything so pipe the hell down!"

 

Suddenly there was a commotion from upstairs. Cardinal and the other man both 

had Alex gripped

between them. Alex was struggling desperately, but to no avail. The other man 

was holding

Alex's prosthetic arm in his hand.

 

"Come on, we have what we came for." Luis Cardinal said to the others.

 

The Lone Gunmen watched helplessly as the hired thugs dragged a wildly 

struggling

Alex out to a dark van.

 

"Oh shit, where the hell are they taking him?" Langley asked miserably. All the 

others 

could do was stare at him speechlessly. Byers shook his head clearly shocked. It 

was Susanne Modesky all

over again.

 

"We have to call Walter and Fox." Frohike said. "And I think Doggett needs a 

paramedic."

 

Both Byers and Langley hurried over to where John was still lying on the floor. 

Frohike picked

up the phone to call Fox and let him know what happened.

 

Alex slowly came to. Head pounding, stomach knotted with nausea, he sat up, 

peering into

the darkened room.

 

"Ah, welcome back young man."

 

Alex sharply drew breath. He knew that well cultured voice.

 

The Well Manucured Man...or the Brit, as Alex privately dubbed him, was sitting 

as a long wooden

table, a cup and saucer in front of him.

 

Sitting opposite him, was Spender, ubiquitous cigarette bewteen his fingers.

 

"What am I doing here?" Alex asked, his voice harsh. The WMM gave him a razor 

thin smile.

 

"Come now Alex, do you really need to ask that question?" WMM sounded amused.

 

Alex opened his mouth to answer him, but a sharp pain hit him squarely in the 

chest and

he was overcome with a severe fit of coughing.

 

CSM and WMM both sat and watched as Alex struggled for breath. After what seemed 

like an

eternity, the coughing gradually subsided.

 

"My my Alex, you do not sound well at all." Spender said calmly.

 

"It's nothing, just the flu, that's all." Alex gasped out, trying desperately to 

catch his breath.

 

His chest felt there was an invisible hand squeezing it, his throat was raw and 

throbbing.

 

"Hmm, I certainly hope it does not turn into anything more serious." Wmm 

observed. "After

all these flu virus do have a nasty way of developing into pneumonia and other 

far more

complicated illness's."

 

"Yeah, I'm sure if I died of pneumonia, that would just break your heart." Alex 

sneered,then

started to cough once more.

 

Spender chuckled. "Poor Alex, so sick and no one to look after him, so sad isn't 

it?"

 

"No one but us." WMM agreed. Suddenly he stood up, Spender followed suit. WMM 

turned to

Luis Cardinal.

 

"See to it that our ...guest, is well taken care of." With that, both he and 

Spender left

the room.

 

Alex watched them go, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomch, he knew that 

he was in deep

shit now. Please Walter...Fox... He prayed silently. Please, you have to find 

me..

you have to...please!

 

Both Walter and Fox arrived home almost simultaneously. Walter had received a 

call

from Frohike, telling him what had happened.

 

An ambulance was sitting outside the house, the bright orange lights throwing 

everything into

stark relief.

 

The two men hurried into the house, to be met by a scene that was almost 

surreal.

 

John Doggett was sitting on the floor, near a pool of blood that was obviously 

his.

A paramedic was cleaning a deep looking wound in his scalp.

 

Frohike, Langley and Byers were all tripping over the top of each over, trying 

to explain

to a young looking paramedic what had taken place.

The paramedic was staring at each of them in turn, looking totally harrassed and 

confused.

 

Walter quickly decided to take conrol of the situation, he stepped forward, 

raising his voice

in order to be heard.

 

"What's going on here?" He demanded, in his best Assistant Director's voice.

 

John Doggett and the Lone Gunmen all stared up at him for a moment. Then John 

answered.

 

"Some men broke into the house and overpowered us Walter, they took Alex."

 

"Oh Jesus." Walter heard Fox say from behind him. He sounded completely 

dismayed.

 

Walter nodded, as furious and frightened for Alex as he was feeling, he had to 

let his FBI

instincts take over now, he knew it was the only way they were going to get Alex 

back.

 

Walter went over to kneel beside John. "Did you recognize any of the them?"

 

He shook his head, then winced. "No Walter, I didn't. I think they may have been 

from the

Consortium though, all they seemed to want to do was grab Alex and get the hell 

out."

 

"The Consortium." Johm Byers said. "But I thought they and the Syndicate as a 

whole were finished?"

 

Fox glanced over at his friend. "No, there's still a few of them around, Alex 

was actually helping

us decode the discs that they left behind, in the hope that we would eventually 

find the rest

of them."

 

"That's probably why they grabbed him then." John Doggett replied. The paramedic 

finished

patching his wound, carefully placing gauze and surgical tape over it.

 

"One of the bastards knocked me out with the butt of their gun." John explained.

 

"Jesus." Walter ran his hand over his smooth scalp. He turned to Fox, who was 

standing ashen

faced, nearby.

 

"Right, we need to get to work and find him." He said his voice filled with a 

confidence that

that quite frankly, he did not feel.

 

He knew how these Consortium bastards operated. All Walter could do, was pray 

that they would find Alex in time.

 

Pain, that was what filled his world. Pain. Slowly he opened his eyes, then 

squeezed them

closed as the bright light pierced his retinas, sending a lancing agony through 

his head.

 

"Water." He croaked.

 

One of the guards looked up from the cards he was holding.

 

"What was that you said?"

 

Alex groaned and forced his eyes open again. "Water...please. 

 

"Can't you see I'm busy here?" The guard replied to the chuckles of the others 

sitting around the

wooden table. They were all playing poker, a small pile of money was sitting in 

the middle

of the table, between them.

 

"Please." Alex sighed. His mouth was as dry as sandpaper, his fever was raging 

through his body,

 

"I'll get it for him." Another guard, a slightly smaller, Hispanic man got to 

his feet.

 

Alex watched as he walked over to where a large jug of water was sitting. The 

guard picked

it up and poured the water into a glass, then carried it over to him.

 

"Here you go Alex." The guard tipped the glass towards him. Alex opened his 

mouth to drink, suddenly 

the water was dashed into his face. Alex gasped in shock, spluttering.

 

The other three guards all roared with laughter as the Hispanic guard sat back 

down again.

 

Alex sighed and closed his eyes again. he was hanging from a thick beam, his 

hand manacled tightly to it. A special sling trapped the stump of his arm, 

forcing it into place above

 

his head. He had no idea how long he had been hanging naked like this for. 

 

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a door opening. Spender entered the room, WMM 

with him.

 

"And how is our young man faring?" WMM asked, glancing over to where Alex was 

hanging.

 

"Juan just gave him a glass of water." One of the guards replied with a grin.

 

Spender smiled drily as he watched drops of water running down Alex's face.

 

"Yes, I can see that."

 

"Take him down from their and bring him into the Recital Room." WMM ordered.

 

Alex felt himself lifted down from where he had been hanging. Two of the guards 

half carried,

half dragged him out of the room and down a long corridor.

 

"N...no, please..no. God...help me!" Alex screamed as he was hauled roughly down 

the corridor,

towards the Recital Room. Alex knew this room well, he had seen what 

happened to disobedient young operatives who had failed in their 

missions, in this particular place. He had often witnessed their punishments 

there.

 

Once inside, he was strapped face down to a long table. Thick padded strapped 

were drawn over

his torso and his arm and legs, and a slightly thinner one at the back of his 

neck, to

keep his head locked in place.

 

"Now Alex, I must tell you that I..and the rest of the Consortium are very 

disapointed in

you." WMM said sadly. "I must say that we had great hopes for you, and what do 

you do? You betray

us at every turn. You I am afraid to say, have been a thorn in our side for some 

time now. One that now, we

have decided to pluck out, so to speak."

 

Alex tried to turn his head, but it was held fast by the strap. "Please, please 

don't..." He

pleaded.

 

He tried to struggle, but it was no good. The straps held him fast. There was no 

escape.

 

"Ah Marcus, if you please." 

 

A large, thickset man stepped forward, a thick, well oiled leather strap held 

loosely in one

hand.

 

"Sir."

 

"You may begin."

 

Marcus raised the strap high over his head, then brought it down squarely across 

Alex's naked

backside.

 

Alex gritted his teeth, refusing to give into the scream that rose up in his 

throat.

 

The strap came down again with amazing force. Alex grunted, tears forming in his 

eyes.

But still he did not cry out. He would not gives these monsters the 

satisfaction.

 

"Won't scream huh son?" he heard Marcus say with amusement. "Don't worry, by the 

time I'm

finished with you, you'll be howling for mercy."

 

Alex said nothing, instead he gritted his teeth against the searing blows of the 

strap,

silently praying for someone to find him and get him the hell out of here.

For someone to take him back home.

 

Fox lay weeping in Walter's arms. They were both lying in bed after spending a 

gruelling

day, organizing a search for Alex. Kersh had been most cooperative,

he knew that Alex Krycek was crucial to helping destroy what remained of the 

Consortium.

 

Also the fact that Walter had quietly taken the AD aside and told him in no 

uncertain terms

what he would do to him if he did anything to hinder the Alex's rescue.

 

"Shhh, it's all right baby." Walter was whispering to the distraught young man.

 

"We'll find him, I promise. You know Alex, he's a tough little rat, he'll 

survive this.

I know he will."

 

Fox shook his head, drawing in a breath, shaky from his tears.

 

"Walter, you know how sick he is, without his medication, the fever will get 

worse, he could wind

up with severe respiratory problems. He could end up getting pneumonia

or pleurisy. he could die."

 

The anguish in his young lover's voice cut Walter to the quick, he knew how 

frightened Fox

was of both Alex and Walter. He had lost so much in the past. His sister, his 

father...and

finally his mother. He was all alone, except for Walter and Alex, and the few 

friends that he had.

Like Dana, John and the Lone Gunmen.

 

"We'll get him back Fox, I promise you, we will." But Fox would not be 

comforted. Walter held

him, letting him cry himself to sleep.

 

Finally Fox succumbed to his exhaustion, Walter held him, kissing the dark hair 

that smelt

faintly of sweat and apple shampoo. Walter smiled gazing at the face that he had 

grown to love.

 

Then his smile faded, he had to find Alex, he realized that his life was not 

complete without

his sweet little rat.

 

His mind wandered back to the night when Fox had turned up with Alex in tow, 

demanding a safe

house to keep Alex in.

 

In reality, it was too stop Alex from escaping. Walter had punched him in the 

stomach, then

hand cuffed him to the balconey railing.

 

"Think warm thoughts..." that's what Walter had told him, after Alex had 

protested, saying

that he would freeze to death.

Why hadn't he forseen that Spender would make his move as soon as he had? Walter 

closed his

eyes. This was all his fault, he never should have underestimated the Smoking 

Man.

 

"Don't worry Alex." He softly vowed. "We'll find you...and I'll make those 

bastards pay."

 

"Well how are you feeling?" WMM asked jovially.

 

Alex squinted up at the older man. How did he feel? Like he had been run over by 

a bus, that's how he felt..

 

He groaned as he sat up, his bones felt as though they were filled with broken 

glass.

How long had he been lying here for? He noticed his prosthetic arm was 

sitting propped up in a corner. Luis Cardinal was sitting near it.

 

"Would you like some water?" WMM asked solicitously. He filled a glass and 

handed it to him.

 

Alex took it gratefully, gulping down the cool sweet tasting liquid.

 

"There, better now?"

 

Alex nodded, then gasped as a sharp pain stabbed at the back of his neck. he 

must have twisted

something while he had been strapped down to the table having his arse beaten 

black and blue.

 

"Good, good." WMM turned to Spender, who was sitting quietly to one side, 

watching the proceedings.

 

"Would you like to make that call now Charles?"

 

Spender reached over and picked up a cell phone that had been sitting in front 

of him on the

table.

 

He dialled a number and lifted the phone to his ear, all the while, keeping his 

eyes on Alex.

 

"Ah, Mr Skinner, hello."

 

Alex's heart lurched in his chest....Walter!

 

"Where's Alex?" He heard Walter roar over the phone. Spender smiled thinly.

 

"He's fine Mr Skinner, he's with us and I can assure you, he is being well taken 

care of."

 

" Listen you black lunged son of a bitch, you can assure me of nothing."

 

For the first time since he had arrived at the Center, for that was where he had 

been taken.

Alex smiled. It sounded like Walter was going to leap through the phone any 

minute. 

Spender chuckled. "Why Mr Skinner, it sounds like you have a wish to get this 

young man back?"

 

Walter stopped, frowning slightly. It sounded as though Spender wanted to do a 

deal.

 

"I think we might be able to come to some kind of arraignment." Spender 

continued smoothly.

 

A pause, then Walter replied. "I'm listening."

 

"Good, good." Spender glanced at WMM. "Then this is what we want you to do."

 

Walter listened, his face set in grim lines. After a few moments, he spoke.

 

"Fine, if that's what you want Spender, but I get Alex back first, and unharmed. 

Is that clear?"

 

"Perfectly Mr Skinner." Spender replied. "We shall be in touch with further 

instructions"

 

With that, he hung up the cell phone and set it back down on the table.

 

"Well?" WMM asked. Spender smiled, satisfied. "He's agreed."

 

"Good." WMM was well pleased, everything was going according to plan. Now all 

they had to do,

was simply sit back and wait.

End Of Part Three


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